


Burn Over

by SneetchesToo



Category: Code Black (TV)
Genre: F/M, Smut, episode fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-01-25 12:35:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21356344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SneetchesToo/pseuds/SneetchesToo
Summary: This was more the kind of burn over that Rox expected.
Relationships: Rox Valenzuela & Ethan Willis, Rox Valenzuela/Ethan Willis
Comments: 18
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> * I just finished rewatching the episode with the wildfire incident and I got this idea and couldn’t get out of my head.

Rox's his heart was pounding, thundering in her ears. 

Nauseous and deafening. 

She was shaking, she was sure of it. And she knew her companion had to feel it too.

Her breathing was ragged, uneven and fast, and she wondered if Ethan was afraid of dying too.

She felt herself reaching for him then, her hands seeking him out in the darkness of their shelter.

She had never been so scared in her life and for once, she wasn't trying to act tough.

"Ethan..." She choked out his name just as her hand found his and he wrapped his fingers around hers tightly.

"I'm here." He whispered his response and she felt his hand squeeze hers tighter as he rested his head against her neck. "It's okay."

Except it wasn't okay.

They were surely going to die in this damn thing and she was terrified.

Terrified of leaving behind Emo.

Terrified of not getting to do all the things she'd dreamed of doing.

"I'm scared." She wasn't one to utter those words very often, if ever, and she felt his lips against the bare skin of her neck.

"Me too." His right arm fell to wrap around her waist, his hand landing on her stomach, pulling her even closer.

She could feel his ragged breathing, the rise and fall of his chest just as heavy and uneven as hers.

She had never really seen Ethan scared before, not even when he had a gun to his face, but this, this was different.

"We're gonna die aren't we?" The way his fingers fell against her hip then made her heart almost stop.

"No." He sounded very uncertain but he squeezed her hip regardless. "We're going home tonight."

"Together?" She didn't know where that came from and she instantly regretted saying it.

"If you want." He pressed his lips against her skin once more and she closed her eyes as she tried to calm her breaths.

She wanted to go home with him more than she ever wanted anything in her life.

But she was scared, terrified even, of what would happen if they did just that.

She didn't know if it would be worth it to throw their entire relationship away just for a good roll in the hay.

And a good roll in the hay it would certainly be.

"It's getting hot." She huffed out.

And it wasn't just because she was imagining Ethan's fingers running over her entire body the way they were running over the line of bare flesh at her hip.

"It's right over top of us." He whispered, his fingers falling from her hip as he wrapped his arms around her tighter and pulled her as close as he could.

She could feel his breath hot on her neck and cheek and she gripped at his hand tighter as she closed her eyes.

It was almost as if she could feel the time stopping around them and it scared the hell out of her.

She just wanted it to be over, one way or the other, either they died and it was quick and just done with, or they survived and were able to go home and forget it ever happened.

"Shouldn't be too long." He whispered, his fingers finding a patch of bare skin on her stomach. "These things tend to move fast."

"Keep my mind off of it." She didn't know where those words came from and she was starting to wonder when she had gotten so brave with him.

"Well this isn't exactly the kind of place to have sex." He joked, his lips pressing against her shoulder softly. "Though it is slightly romantic."

"Nothing romantic about it." She closed her eyes tighter as the wind around them picked up and the bag covering their bodies shook violently.

"Gotcha close." He whispered. "That's pretty romantic."

"Shut up Ethan." She bit her lip as she tried to regain some sense of control. 

She could feel the dirt below their bodies heating up, the taste of smoke seeping through the bottom, burning her nostrils and making her eyes water.

"Hey..." Ethan tapped her stomach gently and pressed his lips to her ear. "You said to keep your mind off of it didn't you?"

She couldn't find any words so instead she simply nodded her head, squeezing his hand tighter and tighter as the space around them got warmer and warmer.

"Breathe Rox." She couldn't though, her lungs tightening from the smoke and the panic and the closeness of the man behind her.

And then the last thing she remembered was Ethan screaming for her to hold on as he pinned her body between his and the ground as best as possible.

\--

The rest of the day had been blur.

They had found the boy and she had almost lost Ethan and then they were reuniting father and son with happy tears.

But when Ethan invited her out for a drink she declined and instead headed home.

She had lied when she told him she was going to Emo's.

But she didn't know if she'd be able to stand being so close to him after the events of the day.

When she had gotten home she had showered for almost an hour, not caring that the water had long ago run cold and her tears had far from stopped.

And after she was done she had dried off and collapsed into bed with a huff.

She wished more than anything that Ethan was there with her, that his arms were wrapped around her and his lips were against his skin.

She wanted nothing more than to spend the night wrapped up in his scent and everything that was uniquely, him.

\--

When she awoke a few hours later she was panting.

She figured it would be because she had nightmares about the fire, but rather, it was because her mind had taken a very naughty detour that involved Ethan and his hands in places she would have never guessed they'd be.

When she finally caught her breath she closed her eyes and turned toward the clock.

10:45pm stared back at her and she let out a growl.

It certainly should've been much later than that.

Grabbing her phone she checked for any missed calls or messages and she found three from Ethan.

All three of which were short and sweet.

All three of which hinted that she should somehow make her way to his place so that they could be together.

All three of which made her body ache in a deep and longing place that hadn't been open to such feelings in a long time.

Sighing to herself she climbed out of bed and got ready.

And then before she knew it she was in her car and on her way to his place without a second thought.

\--

When she pulled into his driveway she was shocked to see every light in the house was off.

She expected him to have still been up.

But then again Leanne did mention he had a pretty bad case of smoke inhalation.

And Rollie had tipped her off that he also probably had a dislocated shoulder.

Maybe coming over for a late night potential booty call wasn't the smartest thing she'd ever done.

But alas, here she was, and she had to make the most of it she supposed.

Just as she was getting out of her Jeep she saw the front door swing open, a tall frame that was most certainly not Ethan appearing in the doorway, and she let out a sigh.

Colonel Martin Willis was waiting for her at the door and that was not the Willis that she wanted to see right now.

But she couldn't be rude so instead she continued toward the front door, her hands wringing in front of her as she went.

"Can I help you?" The bark of the older man's voice startled her and she stopped in her tracks.

"Is Ethan home?" She stuttered through the words as her heart thundered in her chest and she was taken back to that fire shelter and Ethan's arms around her and all of a sudden she couldn't breathe.

"Dad! Who's there?" She heard Ethan's voice before she saw him and she held her breath.

Maybe if she was quick she could get back in her car and drive away before he knew she was there.

That would probably be for the best.

"You're girlfriend from earlier!" Martin shouted back, his body turning toward the inside of the house as he spoke. "The paramedic!"

She wanted to correct him and inform him that she wasn't actually Ethan's girlfriend and that he should probably stop calling her that.

Ethan didn't respond and instead he appeared beside the older version of himself, his hands in the pockets of his sweats, his chest bare, the light from the porch lamp illuminating the giant bruise that ran from his left shoulder to halfway down his chest.

"Hey." She could barely make out his soft voice as he gestured for her to come closer.

"Hi." The word took forever to leave her lips and she could feel her hands shaking as she made her way up the steps and toward him.

"Oh Jesus." Martin threw his hands in the air as he shifted his gaze between them once more. "Get a room."

And then he was vanishing inside, leaving them alone in the semi-darkness of Ethan's front porch.

"Is he staying here?" She definitely didn't want to make a scene of any kind in front of the older Willis man.

"Yeah." Ethan let out a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. "Come in?"

She wasn't sure she should answer that question the way he wanted her too, but she couldn't help herself.

Because right now he was the most delicious thing she had ever seen and all she wanted was to run her hands all over his body and never stop.

She nodded her head in response to his sort of question and then her legs were carrying her up the front stairs before she really knew what was happening.

"You look exhausted." He whispered as she stopped in front of him.

"Thanks." She offered him a crooked smile as she let her eyes survey the space in front of them.

Martin was nowhere in sight and she hoped it stayed that way.

"Why'd you come over?" He had to already know the answer to that question because his fingers were linking with hers while he asked it and she was slowly being tugged inside. "Thought you were with Emo."

"I lied." He shut the door behind her and before she knew it he was pushing her back against the wood and letting his hands fall to her hips.

"Thought so." His breath was warm against her cheek as he let his lips graze her ear, his fingers lowering themselves under the hem of her jeans. "Want you."

Those words shocked her and she certainly never would have expected them to leave Ethan's mouth in regards to her.

She could smell the alcohol on his breath and she closed her eyes as he nipped at her ear.

"You're drunk." She knew they shouldn't do this if he wasn't fully there, that he would surely forget it in the morning, or worse, regret it.

"Am not." He let his left hand stay put on her hip but his right hand moved upward, running along the underside of her bra.

"Your dad..." The last thing she wanted was to get caught with her pants down by his father, literally.

"He won't bother us." He dragged his teeth along her pulse point as his fingers wandered under bra, skimming over the bare skin of her right breast. "Upstairs?"

She didn't know how that would solve any of their problems except for perhaps giving her the privacy she needed to remove his pants.

And fast.

Once again she resorted to nodding, Ethan's thumb having brushed over her nipple and causing her to lose all train of thought.

Then he was pulling away from her and grabbing her hand and dragging her toward the stairs.

He didn't speak, just tugged her along behind him, taking the stairs two at a time before entering the room to the left of them.

And then he was spinning her and slamming her back against the door as he shut it hard.

His lips found hers and the kiss was searing and hard and not at all how she wanted their first kiss to be.

But when he started tucking at her shirt, pulling it up over her head with a grunt, she no longer cared what she had previously wanted from him.

Because right now she wanted one thing and one thing only.

"Fucking gorgeous." The profanity rolling off his tongue with so little effort caused her to roll her eyes, her head tilting back against the door as he pressed sloppy kisses down her chin and neck, dragging his teeth along her collarbone as he undid the button of her jeans.

He had the zipper down before she could process what was happening and then he was pushing the denim to the ground just as he ran his tongue along the top of her left breast.

"Ethan..." She didn't want to beg, but she couldn't fathom waiting any longer and all she wanted was him inside her and her hands on his body. "Please."

He chuckled against her neck before pressing a kiss to the spot he had just been dragging his teeth over.

She knew there would be a mark there in the morning and she prayed that no one would notice.

"I got you." He moved his lips back to hers as he pushed her panties to the ground roughly, his hands then moving to shove his pants and boxers down too.

And then he was hoisting her up and her legs were wrapping around his waist as he slid into her with a low growl.

She slammed her eyes shut as she dug her nails into his shoulders, her whole body freezing at the feeling of him inside her.

He didn't speak the rest of the time, his lips staying glued to hers in between his teeth leaving little nips along her neck, and she was almost thankful.

It probably would've been embarrassing to start talking now, especially with the way he was slamming into her, his hands rough against her hips as she did everything in her power to bring him even closer.

And then, just like that, she was tumbling over the edge, her walls clenching around him as she let out a moan and a shuddered breath, her whole body shaking with what had to be the first orgasm she'd had in months.

"Damn." He growled against her shoulder as he came undone, his fingers pressing against her bare skin so hard she knew there would be bruises there in the morning too.

"Yeah." She let out a shaky breath as she let her arms relax around his shoulders, her head falling forward as she blinked her eyes.

She was seeing stars and she knew for certain her legs would feel like jelly.

But that didn't stop Ethan from pulling from within her almost instantly, her body feeling empty and lost at the motion.

He set her down on the ground with a sigh and she watched as he closed his eyes and shook his head.

"You can shower if you want." He sounded like he didn't really want her too and it almost broke her heart.

Had what they just done really been just a good fuck?

Was he not as invested in this as she thought?

Because while what had just happened was rough and dirty and quick, it had not by any means been without intense emotions.

At least not for her anyway.

"I'm good." She was all of a sudden very self conscious about the fact that she was standing before him in nothing but her bra and she reached down for her underwear and shirt quickly. 

He nodded his head without a word, his hand reaching out to take her clothing from her and dropping it back into a pile on the floor beside them.

Then he reached out and dragged one bra strap down her arm and then the other before reaching around behind her and undoing the clasp.

He swallowed when the garment fell to the ground and she blushed.

There was nothing special about her breasts.

Hell, there was nothing special about any part of her naked body, and yet here he was staring at her in this sudden awe.

"Beautiful." He whispered his sentiment this time and she simply shook her head back and forth.

She was anything but beautiful and she couldn't understand why he would think that way.

"Come to bed." He took her hand then, tugging her toward the king size bed behind them.

She hesitated, her heart freezing up in her chest as she tried to decide if this meant what she thought it meant.

"Ethan..." She wanted to ask him what he wanted from her, what this all meant for them, but she couldn't get the words out.

Instead she locked eyes with him and swallowed, her free hand reaching up to run through her sweat soaked hair.

"Stay." That was all she needed to hear in order to make the decision of a lifetime.

"Okay." And she let him drag her to bed, his naked body spooning behind hers as he pulled the blankets over them.

The next thing Rox knew she was drifting off, the feeling of Ethan's fingers against her bare hip taking her mind back to the scariest part of her life.

\--

When she woke up a few hours later it was to the feeling of lips pressing against the outside of her left breast.

She inhaled sharply as Ethan's fingers danced against her core and she silently wondered how long he'd been fooling around without her knowledge.

"Morning." He growled against her ear, his teeth nipping at the flesh as he gently rolled her over.

His eyes were soft and sleepy and full of lust and she couldn't help but reach up and cup his cheek against her palm.

"Did you sleep?" His question is soft as the fingers of his right hand slow their pace, his middle finger sliding into her without any warning at all.

She almost forgot to breathe at the feeling and she closed her eyes as her back arched, her body shuddering gently at the sensation.

She couldn't find the words to answer him so instead she simply nodded her head, her hand gripping his shoulder tightly as he settled himself above her.

She knew it wouldn't take long for him to get her off this time, her body not used to being woken up in such a way.

"Feel good?" He whispered his question against her lips and she nodded before leaning up and capturing his lips in a kiss.

Now that she was finally 100% awake she figured that she might as well play while she could.

"Hell of a way to be woken up." She whispered back, her right hand trailing down his chest to his groin, wrapping slowly around his erection.

He let out a hiss that made her insides tingle and she couldn't help but smile as he dropped his forehead to hers once she began to move her hand up and down.

"You know, this was supposed to be about making up to you." He pressed his lips to her cheek before quickening the speed of his fingers inside her.

"What are you making up for?" She was confused but that didn't stop her from letting out a very un-lady like growl as he dragged his thumb along her core.

"Hmmm..." She figures that the movement of her hand was making it hard for him to concentrate so she stopped, her eyes searching his when they reopened.

But he didn't respond to her, instead he slid his fingers from within her, a whimper leaving her body at the sensation.

And then the next thing she knew he was pulling her hand from around him and sliding into her with ease.

"Damn." He groaned as he settled himself above her, his hands roaming her body as he found a speed that worked for them.

And just like she predicted, she came tumbling over the edge within minutes, her fingers digging into his biceps as she let out a cry of pleasure.

He offered her a soft smile before thrusting into her a few more times, his release following as her hands moved to tangle in his hair, dragging his lips to hers.

They didn't speak for a few minutes, just laid there trading sloppy kisses as they both came down from their high.

"Sorry about last night." He broke the silence after a good ten minutes of making out and she shivered as he nuzzled her neck, his arms pulling her so that she was laying spooned against him once more.

"Sorry for what?" She didn't understand what he had to apologize for, it was just sex.

"Got kinda... primal." He pressed a kiss against the curve of her neck as he wedged one knee between hers.

"That wasn't primal Ethan." She could show him primal if that's what he wanted, but what they did last night was far from it.

"Still, feel bad." Another kiss and another snuggle and if she wasn't mistaken he was literally trying to make them into one person right now. "Not how I meant for our first time to be."

The fact that he had thought about their first time and what it would be like sent a shiver down her spine and she quickly rolled to her back, her eyes locking with his in the early morning sun.

"Our first time?" She had thought about it a lot, but she wasn't expecting him to have given a damn about it.

"Was hoping it'd be romantic. Yeah know, candles, some slow jazz." He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she chuckled. "Like those romance novels I see you reading when you think no one's watching."

She rolled her eyes at the thought.

No one was supposed to know about that.

"Nine times out of ten the sex in those is more primal than not." It was true.

Very rarely did Fabio actually woo the woman with candles and slow jazz.

Normally the books she read ended in someone being bent over a couch or a table.

Not that she would mind Ethan doing just that.

"Well then," He leaned down and kissed her softly, his fingers tangling in her hair as he moved to hover above her once again, "guess we'll have to try again."

She let out another chuckle against his lips as she dragged his head down to hers.

This was the kind of burn over she had wanted all along.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I'm hopelessly addicted to these two fools.

Two weeks went by before Rox had Ethan’s hands on her again and she hated it.

Two weeks was incredibly too long.

Especially after the way he had made her feel last time.

She wasn’t sure what they were though and so as much as she wanted to ask questions about the state of their relationship, she had refrained.

But here she was, alone for the third Friday night in a row, and she was frustrated.

Very, very frustrated.

And in more ways than one.

She had tried to take care of the problem herself, but her hands just couldn’t do for her what his had and it was killing her.

As if on cue she heard movement outside her apartment door and she held her breath, praying that it would finally be him and she could finally get some relief from the madness in her head.

But the footsteps kept moving after a second and she heard a door down the hall shut and she sighed.

She hated this and she just wanted him all to herself again.

Letting out a frustrated sigh she flung herself back on the couch, her hands yanking the throw pillow down and throwing it over her head.

She took a deep breath as she dared to reach out for her phone.

She knew she shouldn’t text him, but she couldn’t help herself.

She needed him and she had reached a point where she wasn’t afraid to admit it.

Just as she got ready to hit send on her very desperate sounding text there was a knock on her door.

Holding her breath she hopped up from her spot and headed toward the object, pulling the door open quickly.

The object of her desire was on the other side and she said a silent prayer to whoever was listening.

“Hi...” But she wasn’t even able to finish her sentence before Ethan was shoving his way through the door, his hands going for her hair, his lips hot and needy as they slammed against hers.

She didn’t know how to respond except to kiss him back, so that’s exactly what she did, her lips parting as he pushed his tongue against her lips.

And then he was pushing her down on the couch, his fingers grabbing the seam of her pajama shirt and yanking upward, pulling the object over her head in one quick motion.

“Well hello to you too.” She huffed out as he pinned her hands above her head and continued his assault, this time with his lips against her neck and then her collar bone.

“I need you.” He growled as he let one hand go, dipping it downward to run along her shoulder, then her arm, before letting it wander over to her chest, his thumb brushing along one nipple and then the other.

“Well I’m right here.” She let out a whimper as he dropped his head to her chest then, his lips hot against her breast as he dragged his tongue across the skin.

“Thank God.” He continued his trail downward with his fingers first, following after them with his tongue.

When he reached the hem of her pajama bottoms he pushed them down slowly, his lips leaving a trail of sloppy kisses along her legs as he went.

"Why are you here?" She huffed out her question as he pressed a kiss to the inside of her thigh, his fingers hooking around her underwear as he dragged them down slowly.

"To do this." He tossed the garment behind him, his lips pressing against her curls as he let his hands settle on her hips.

"Ohhh..." She wasn't able to get out any more words because his tongue was against her core and her back was arching.

It didn't take him long before he got her right where he wanted her.

But then he pulled back, his lips pressing to her thigh and then her stomach and chest.

"Bastard." She whimpered out, her hands falling to his shoulders where she clawed at him, hungry and rough.

She couldn't believe he would just leave her hanging like that.

She needed him, wanted him, and she would stop at nothing to have him.

"Shhh." He let his right hand fall down between her legs, stroking her slowly as he kissed her shoulder before dragging his teeth along the space.

She wanted to respond, to tell him she hated him or something of the sort, but then he was sliding a finger into her and she slammed her eyes shut tight.

But once again, he didn't finish what he started and she let out a growl as she pushed at his sweatpants roughly.

"You're mean." She huffed out, shoving the material to the ground, her mind not giving a second thought to the fact that he wasn't wearing anything underneath.

"Sorry." He bit down gently on her pulse point as he slid into her with a low growl. "Let me make it up to you."

"How?" She could barely get the question out because the rhythm that he set was fast and he was hitting all the right places in just the right ways.

"Well we could spend the night doing this?" His suggestion caused her to shiver as her fingernails dug into his back.

"Okay." She couldn't get anything but that simple word out before she started seeing stars, her body shaking as she tumbled over the edge.

Ethan's lips found hers then, pressing against them in a searing kiss as he wrapped one hand around her neck, tugging her upward slightly as she came down from her high.

He nipped her bottom lip when he came, his other hand tightening around her hip before going lax as he dropped his forehead to hers.

They laid there for a few minutes, both panting softly, their bodies exhausted from what they had just done.

She figured that the fact that they had been working like crazy the past two weeks didn't help.

"Bed?" He whispered his one word question as he nuzzled her neck.

"Too far away." She couldn't fathom getting up from the couch right now.

"I'll carry you." And with that he was pushing himself up and grabbing his sweats, pulling them on quickly before he reached down and scooped her up.

She let out a chuckle as she let her head fall to his shoulder, her arms circling his neck as she kissed the spot just below his ear.

"Last door on the left." She couldn't believe he was carrying her completely naked body through her apartment.

This was the kind of thing her dreams were made of.

He didn't speak the rest of the way, and as soon as they made it into her room he deposited her on the bed before crawling on top of her.

She raised an eyebrow when he shed his sweatpants once more, his t-shirt following before his hands moved to tangle in her hair as he pressed a searing kiss to her lips.

"Again?" He asked the question with a slight hint of worry in his voice and she couldn't help herself from chuckling.

"Do you really have to ask?" She most certainly wouldn't deny him access to her body, not if that's what he wanted.

"Yes." The look of softness in his eyes made her shiver and she quickly wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him as close to her as possible. "Not here to use you or nothing."

"Never thought you were." She let a hand run down his back slowly as she leaned upward and captured his mouth in a soft kiss.

"That's not what this is." For a while there she was wondering what they were.

But apparently they weren't that.

"Than what is this?" She wanted more, so much more, and Ethan was probably the first guy she had ever wanted 'more' with.

"It's..." He settled a hand on her cheek and rubbed his thumb along her lips, his eyes searching hers as he tried to come up with something to say. "Something."

"Something?" She knew he was smart enough to know that that wasn't the answer she wanted.

"What do you want it to be?" He was doing his best to keep his cool and she knew it.

The last thing either one of them wanted right now was to fight.

"I don't know." And she didn't know.

She didn't know what she wanted.

She knew that the sex was unbelievable and that she wanted to be with him constantly.

She knew that he made her laugh and she felt safe with him and she trusted him with her life.

"Than I guess we've got some things to figure out?" The way he said it made it sound more like a question and she smiled up at him softly.

"Does figuring it out involve sex?" She raised an eyebrow as she stopped her hand on his bare butt, squeezing playfully. "Because I really like the sex."

"Me too." And with that he pressed a kiss against her lips as he began to run a finger down her chest to her rib cage.

She couldn't help herself from smiling into the kiss and then the next thing she knew she was rolling them over, her legs going to straddle his waist as she settled her hands on his shoulders.

He smiled up at her goofily and when she leaned down to kiss him he grabbed her waist and tickled slightly.

She chuckled at his daring move before lifting herself up and settling herself on top of him, the feeling of him filling her once more making her heart race.

"Easy tiger." He hissed out, his hands flattening against her waist as he closed his eyes.

"My turn." She whispered against his lips, her hands moving to tangle in his hair as she started to move herself up and down, finding a pace that worked for them both.

"Yes ma'am." He barely got the words out as his head relaxed against the pillow and his eyes slammed shut.

They didn't talk anymore after that, just their bodies doing what needed to be done, and when she felt her climax getting close she slowed herself down, letting her head nuzzle against his neck as she pressed kisses to the rough, prickly skin of his jaw.

"Killing me." He growled out, his hands moving up from her waist to settle on her breasts.

"Payback's a bitch." She watched as he cracked an eye open at her, pinching her nipples roughly in an attempt to get back at her.

He shook his head before letting out a moan, his head lifting upward to kiss her roughly.

She smiled into the kiss before pulling back and sitting up, her hands falling to his stomach as she continued her movements.

His hands fell to her hips then as he let out a string of cuss words and she couldn't help but let out a giggle.

"Did you just giggle at me?" He squeezed her hips as he opened his eyes, staring at her with a taunting look.

"Maybe." She whispered her response as she cocked her head to one side, smiling down at him with an expression she knew was nothing but smug.

He shocked her then by flipping them over, her back slamming down against the mattress with a thud as he hovered above her once more.

"You're riding me like a goddamn cowgirl and you're gonna fucking giggle?" He nipped at her ear as he set a rough but impressive rhythm and she slammed her eyes shut as she clawed at his back.

"You're just so damn adorable." She waited for a response but he simply growled, his teeth dragging along her jaw slowly before he lowered his head to her chest.

The next thing she knew he was running his tongue along her nipple as he thrust into her just right.

And then she was seeing stars as her body went over the edge with a shudder and moan.

"Fuck Ethan." She arched her back as the sensations from her orgasm took over her whole body and she clenched her fists around the sheets beside her.

It was his turn to chuckle as he buried his face between her breasts, pressing a kiss to the sweat soaked skin as he joined her on the other side, his hands stopping against her hips as he tried to keep his composure.

When they had both finally come down from their high Ethan pulled from within her with a huff and flopped onto his back beside her.

"Damn." He whispered as he stared at the ceiling above them.

"Uh huh." She had had some good sex in her life, but there was something about having sex with Ethan that was a hundred times better than anything else she had ever experienced.

"Shower?" He turned his head toward her, his eyes sleepy and soft and she offered him a smile before rolling out of bed and extending her hand toward him.

He took it without hesitation, pulling himself up to sit on the edge of the bed, tugging her between his legs slowly.

"Can I stay the night?" He whispered his question as he reached up and pushed her loose curls behind her ear.

"Are we that?" She didn't know if he would understand what she meant by that but then he was pulling her head down for a soft, slow kiss, and she realized that he knew exactly what she was getting at.

"If you wanna be that, we are." He rested his forehead against hers and she sighed, running her fingers through his wild hair.

"Will you make breakfast in the morning?" She was hoping he would say 'yes' because of all the things she had wanted in past relationships that sense of domesticity had always been something just out of reach.

"I'll do you one better," He whispered as he stood, cupping her face gently against his palm, "I'll serve it to you in bed."

She chuckled as she wrapped her arms around his neck, his hands falling to her waist as he scooped her up, her legs wrapping around his waist tightly.

"Works for me." And then he kissed her in a way he hadn't before and she felt something inside her ignite at the emotion behind the gesture.

This could be the step they needed to get where she wanted them to be.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Episode tag for "Home Stays Home".  
**I couldn't help myself.

A few weeks later Rox got the answer she had been looking for though.

Ethan had cracked under the pressure and he had been distant and lost and she had never felt more disconnected from another human being in all her life.

She knew the case had been hard on him.

She knew that Charlie’s relationship with his father had been much to similar to Ethan’s relationship with Martin.

She knew that losing his mother had driven a wedge between.

She knew that losing Robbie had been the final straw.

But the way he was handling it, well, she wasn’t a fan of that.

She had tried to talk to him.

To get through to him, to make him understand that she was there to help.

But he didn’t want any part of her help.

Instead he had brushed her off and he had shoved her away and he was slowly breaking her heart with every second that he spent treating her like she was nothing to him.

She had tried to ignore it and act like it wasn’t a big deal.

But it was.

She was obsessed with him.

She might have even loved him.

And she couldn’t handle watching him destroy himself any longer.

So after he had driven away on his bike she had gone home and showered and after pulling on a pair of leggings and a t-shirt she had driven to his place with a heavy heart.

She was pretty sure that he would ignore her once again.

But she knew she had to at least try.

—

When she arrived at his place the first thing she noticed was the ‘for sale’ sign in the yard.

She could only imagine the amount of heartache Ethan was feeling at seeing that sign posted.

Then, as she got closer, she noticed that all the lights were off.

She could see Ethan’s bike around the side of the house so she knew he was home, but she thought it was odd that he was already turned in for the night when it wasn’t even 8:00pm yet.

But she pulled her car into the driveway regardless and she killed the engine just as a clap of thunder sounded in the distance.

She hated storms and she prayed that he let her stay or that it waited until she got home.

Sighing, she turned the car off and got out, making her way toward the front door slowly.

She rang the bell twice, and knocked, but there was no response and she felt her heart sink a little.

She wondered if he knew it was her and wasn’t answering on purpose.

Or maybe he had gone out and was currently drowning his feelings in a fifth of whiskey.

Either way, she wasn’t happy.

She waited another few minutes before ringing the bell again.

When he didn’t answer that time she let out a growl and made her way back down the stairs.

She got ready to get in her car and leave when she heard a crash from behind the house and she hurried around the side to see what was going on.

She spotted Ethan before he saw her and she froze in her spot as she waited to see if he would notice her.

He didn’t look up from the hood of the car in front of him at first and she took a minute to enjoy the sight before her.

He was dressed in a pair of ragged old jeans and a gray t-shirt that was now covered in what she could only assume was oil.

And while she could tell that he hadn’t showered, or at least, would definitely need another one, she didn’t much mind because she found the dirty look doing things to her that she couldn’t explain.

“You just gonna stand there,” He didn’t even bother to look up from his work as he spoke and she felt herself jump at the break in the silence, “or are you gonna come over here and help me?”

“Help you?” She raised an eyebrow as he lifted his gaze toward her and she swallowed at the fire in his eyes.

“Yeah.” He grabbed the rag behind him and wiped his hands on it as he stepped back. “This would get done quicker if I had another set of hands.”

“I know nothing about cars.” She wasn’t lying either, she knew nothing about cars and she wasn’t looking to mess up what looked like a work in progress.

“Don’t matter.” She could tell he was drunk just by the way he was talking and she wondered if he should really be so close to a heavy piece of machinery. “Just need ya to hold something.”

“How much have you had to drink?” She wasn’t going to do this with him if he was drunk. 

“Few beers.” He was clearly more than a few beers into the evening and she sighed.

“And…?” She placed her hands on her hips as she locked her eyes with his and she hoped that he could see the frustration behind them.

“I may or may not have gotten into the bottle of whiskey Leanne gave me last Christmas.” She rolled her eyes at his response and when he smirked back at her she wanted to slap him.

“I’m gonna leave and come back when you’re sober then.” She turned on her heel and started to walk away but then she felt his hand on her waist and his breath hot against her ear and she froze.

“Don’t.” He tightened his grip a little and she let out a shaky breath as she tried to compose herself.

She hated that he had such an effect on her even when she was so frustrated with him.

“Ethan, you're drunk.” She took a deep breath before turning to face him. “We're not talking while you're drunk.”

“I'm not drunk.” He leaned in and pressed his forehead against hers with a sigh. “And who said we have to talk.”

“I did.” She knew what he wanted, sex, but she wasn't going to give it to him that easily, not after the way he had treated her earlier.

“How about we just screw around and call it a day?” She rolled her eyes at his immature comment and when he chuckled she shoved him backwards with a growl.

“I'm leaving Ethan!” She didn't have time for his immaturity right now.

Not with as worried about him as she was.

Not with the way her heart was pounding in her chest at the thought that he was suffering.

“Roxane, please…” He never called her by her full name, ever, and she froze in her tracks about half way down the driveway.

“Whatever it is that your hiding from Ethan, I'm not it. I'm not here to hurt you. I want to help.” She ran a hand through her hair as she closed her eyes briefly. “I know something’s bothering you, something's going on in your head, and I'm trying to help.”

“I'm fine Rox.” When she reopened her eyes he was staring back at her with an anger she'd never seen.

She knew he'd never get violent with her, but dammit if he didn't look like he was about to get loud.

“Sure you are Ethan.” She turned back around and finished her walk to her car.

When she stopped beside her door she let out a sigh before turning to see if her was still behind her, but he wasn't. 

At least not as close behind her as he had been.

Rather, he was rooted to the spot half way up the drive where he had been when she had closed her eyes. 

She thought it odd that he hadn't moved at all in that time and she bit back a sob.

She hated that he was doing this to himself, to them.

They deserved better than this after everything they had been through.

“I'm going home.” She opened her car door and climbed inside, waiting to see if he would fight with her to stay anymore. “When you’ve sobered up and wanna talk, call me.”

He didn't reply and instead he just stood there watching as she started the vehicle, pushed it into reverse, and backed out of the drive.

She felt a tear roll down her cheek and she cursed herself.

She had promised herself that there would be no more crying over boys after Ethan.

And yet, it seemed as though Ethan was the one that was making her cry the most.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Short but sweet.  
**Mentions to past Ethan/Leanne.

She had been shocked when Ethan hadn't shown up at her apartment that night.

And even more shocked when he didn't show up for his shift the next day.

But Leanne had made quiet mention of him keeping Ariel home from school, allowing them both some time to recover from the events of the past two days, so she had shrugged off her concerns and gone about her business.

When she finally headed home at a quarter after seven she decided to give in and text him to make sure he was okay.

He didn't reply at first, not until after she had showered and eaten half a pint of ice cream for dinner, but he did text her back to tell her he'd call in the morning.

Apparently having the teen for the day had been more than he had bargained for and he was now too emotionally overwhelmed.

She had rolled her eyes at his comment but had told him it was fine either way.

And then she went to bed with a giant chip on her shoulder.

One she was certain he could probably detect from her not so loving reply.

\--

The chip on her shoulder must have only deterred him a touch because a few minutes after midnight there was a knock on her door followed by her phone ringing twice.

Ethan’s name flashed across the screen and then vanished, only to reappear again.

She let out a huff before pushing her way out the bed and heading to the door.

When she opened it she was greeted with a sight that made her heart hurt and she didn’t hesitate to let the broken man on the other side through the door.

“Ethan…” She waited a minute before saying anything, watching as he just stood there, his hands in the pockets of his jeans, his eyes slightly red and hardened.

“My dad’s selling the house.” He whispered as he lifted his gaze toward her. “He’s selling the house and taking the last piece of Robbie that I have.”

“I’m sorry…” She didn’t get to finish though before he started up again and while she wanted to reach out and comfort him she couldn’t make herself go that far just yet.

“And my kid, my kid’s going around kissing boys.” She remembered hearing Leanne talking about Ariel being caught in an almost lip lock with her male friend.

She guessed that she must have actually gone through with the kiss and somehow Ethan found out.

“She’s fourteen Ethan, it was bound to happen eventually.” She knew that wasn’t what he wanted to hear but she didn’t know what else to say.

“She’s still a kid.” He was pacing now and she knew that meant he was going to lose it soon. “She’s a kid and he’s a… a…”

“A boy?” Humor probably wasn’t the appropriate route but alas, here she was.

“An older boy!” She didn’t know what the age difference between the two was but she had seen the boy around Angels and she guessed it couldn’t be much.

“Ethan, breathe.” She dared to reach out and grab his hand, slowing his movement down. “It’s okay.”

“I…” She squeezed his hand as he stopped in front of her and let out a sigh.

“Would you like to stay the night?” She certainly didn’t want him getting back on the road.

“I didn’t come over here for that.” He huffed out, his eyes hardening as he stared back at her.

“What did you come over here for?” She wondered if he just needed someone to scream at.

“I don’t know.” His shoulders slumped forward and he let out a breath. “Leanne wasn’t answering. And my head hurts so I figured getting sloshed wasn’t the best idea.”

“Well when you decide what I can do for you, let me know.” She dropped his hand and stormed down the hallway to her room, slamming the door shut behind her.

She knew that she shouldn’t be treating him like this, that she should be offering him a shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen, but she just couldn’t.

She was tired of him using her and if he wasn’t going to commit than neither was she.

—

Rox must have laid in her bed for a good thirty minutes before her bedroom door finally opened and when she rolled over to face him she felt her breath catch in her chest.

There was a fire in his eyes and a determination in his step and she knew that she wouldn’t be able to say ‘no’ to him tonight.

“Can I help you?” She whispered out her question as he stopped beside the bed, his hands gently grabbing her waist and tugging her toward the edge.

“You’re driving me crazy.” He whispered back as he hovered above her, his fingers rubbing along her hip bones as he dropped his head to her shoulder, his lips finding the skin of her neck without a second thought.

“Sorry.” In reality she wasn’t sorry.

She was glad that he couldn’t get enough of her.

Because the truth was, she couldn’t get enough of him either.

“I’m sorry for the past few days.” He pressed a soft kiss to her cheek before moving to press his lips against hers. “I’ve been an asshole.”

“You’ve been through a lot.” She understood what it was like to be weighed down by the world around you. “I know you didn’t mean anything by it.”

She had tried to be mad at him, she really had.

But she just couldn’t let him go.

“Still,” He pressed another kiss to her lips before resting his forehead against hers with a soft sigh, “you didn’t deserve that.”

“No, no I did not.” She knew that she hadn’t done anything wrong, and yet, she had spent the past few days wondering where she had messed up.

“I’m sorry.” He lifted his head up just as his fingers dared to push at her pajama bottoms.

“It’s okay.” She whispered her response as she ran her hands under his t-shirt, over his back and down his chest before settling them on his waist.

“I can make it up to you.” He offered her a sultry look as he pushed her pants the rest of the way down, his fingers tracing under the hem of her underwear. “I’m really, really good at making up.”

“So I’ve heard.” She watched as he rolled his eyes and she figured it probably wasn’t the appropriate time to bring up the fact that she had heard around the water cooler just how good he was at making up with a certain doctor.

“I don’t wanna fight like that.” He nipped at her chin as he let his hand wander a little farther upward, running it over her ribs slowly before stopping it just below her breast. “Leanne and I, we fought, a lot.”

She nodded her head as he lifted his gaze back up to her.

“I don’t wanna do that with you.” She had never understood how two people who were so obsessed with each other and so incredibly in love could be so toxic for each other.

“I don’t want that either.” She whispered back, her eyes locking with his as she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer.

“Forgive me?” He ran a finger along the underside of her breast and she smiled up at him as she let her fingers dance over his hip.

“For now.” She knew they were bound to fight, she wasn’t blind to it, but she was hopeful that their arguments would never turn into a blowup that would end their relationship.

Especially not when they had just started.

Not when she was still getting to know him, and every part of him at that.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *No real Rox/Ethan in this chapter, however there is some adorable Rox/Ariel.

Rox had been devastated watching Ethan and Martin during the funeral.

And then when Ethan had run from the house, struggling to breathe and tearing at his uniform, she knew something was wrong.

So she had humored him and taken him to the motel, despite Martin's glares from the backseat, despite the burning in her gut that told her to stop him while he was ahead.

When she heard the gunshot from inside the motel room her entire world had stopped.

All she could think about was how she hadn't had enough time with him.

How she hadn't been strong enough for him.

She had bolted from the car, Martin hot on her heels as they raced to the door. 

They found Ethan in one piece, the gunshot wound not inflicted on him and she had let out a sigh of relief when she realized that he hadn’t been hurt.

After they had left the hospital that night they had driven back to the house in silence and she could feel the tension between father and son.

It was killing her knowing that they were both so broken.

Martin had left the car with a huff and she had wanted to tell Ethan the truth.

That she was hopelessly in love with him and that she was so afraid of losing him that it was driving her crazy.

But instead she had told him that she was terrified of him.

That they were friends.

It totally hadn't come out how she wanted.

She watched as Ethan left the vehicle with a sigh, slamming the door shut behind him.

He stopped halfway down the driveway and turned back around to face her.

“I'm sorry.” She could barely hear him and she swallowed as the words sank in.

“So am I.” She could feel the tears stinging her eyes as he turned back around and continued to the house.

She couldn't believe that he had just walked away just like that.

That he hadn't put up a fight or anything.

Maybe he was more broken than she thought.

\--

She had gone home and showered and collapsed in bed, only to be woken up two hours later to a knock on her door.

Crawling from under the blankets she prayed it wasn't Ethan.

She didn't know if she could handle seeing him right now.

Not after everything.

But instead, she was shocked to find Ariel on the other side.

“Ariel…” She didn't even know that the girl knew where she lived. “What are you doing here?”

She also didn't know how the teen managed to get to her place.

“Do you know where my dad is?” Rox’s heart skipped a beat at her question.

What did she mean where was her dad?

“He's at home.” At least he had been two and a half hours ago.

“I went there.” She sounded so broken and tired and Rox could tell that she was going through something. “No one answered.”

“Did you call him?” She stepped back and allowed the girl to enter the space, taking in the sight of her rumpled clothes and tear stained eyes. “He had a rough day. He might just be sleeping.”

She prayed he hadn't drunk himself into a coma.

“I tried that.” She choked back a sob and Rox reached out, patting her arm softly. “I can't… I can't talk to mom right now. I just… I wanted to see him.”

“What happened honey?” She had no relationship with the girl outside of her being the daughter of the man she was sleeping with, but she couldn't help but feel a sense of loyalty to her. 

“Max is dead.” She broke down then and Rox pulled her into her arms without hesitation.

“Oh sweetie.” She had had heard from both Ethan and Leanne how attached the girl was to the young boy and it broke her heart to know that she had suffered such a loss. “I'm so sorry.”

“I just…” The teen wrapped her arms around her even tighter and Rox shushed her softly. “I just need my dad.”

“I'll see if I can get a hold of him.” She pulled back slowly, her hands resting on the girl’s shoulders as she spoke. “Why don't you sit, I'll get you something to drink.”

“Thank you.” Ariel wiped her eyes with her sleeve before moving toward the couch and sitting down, her arms wrapping around herself slowly.

Rox cursed Ethan left and right as she headed into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water.

If Ethan was anything, it was a very dedicated father, and the fact that he wasn't there for his little girl right now was destroying her.

“Here love.” Ariel took the bottle with a nod before unscrewing the top and downing half the bottle. “I'm gonna try your dad and grandfather.”

She didn't even know if Ariel had a relationship with Martin, in fact, she highly doubted it, but she couldn't help herself.

The girl didn't reply though and she could see her eyes getting heavy as she laid back against the cushions.

Rox made her way into the bedroom, grabbing her phone from the nightstand and dialing Ethan's number immediately.

It rang until it hit voicemail so she tried again, and again, and again.

After the seventh time she dialed Martin's number, praying for a better result.

“Hello?” She could tell he hadn't been expecting a call and she hoped that she hadn't woken him.

“Martin, it's Rox.” She heard him let out a sigh on the other end and she wondered if he already knew why she was calling. “I need to talk to Ethan, now.”

“I don't know where he is.” The older man sounded genuine and she felt her heart break.

She hoped he wouldn't be stupid enough to go and do something reckless.

“He's not home?” It wasn't like him to just up and leave though, not like this, not when his kid was involved.

“He left not long after we got back.” She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. “We got into a fight.”

“He's hurting Martin.” She hated that his father was refusing to see that he was struggling.

“He's being stupid.” The venom in his voice told her this conversation was now over and she sighed before whispering a ‘goodbye’ and hanging up.

“He's gone isn't he?” The sound of Ariel's voice from the doorway startled her and she dropped her phone as she turned around.

“I don't know where he is honey, I'm sorry.” The girl’s eyes filled with tears again and she felt her heart break for her. “I'm sure he doesn't know about Max. I was with him all day, he never took a call.”

“I don't wanna go home.” She whispered through her tears.

“If it's okay with Leanne you can stay here.” She reached out and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear before continuing. “But she needs to say it's okay.”

The teen nodded her head before pulling out her phone and calling the other woman.

Rox was shocked when she picked up on the first ring.

“I'm staying with Rox tonight.” Ariel didn't even grunt out a ‘hello’ or anything, just got straight to the point. “No. I can't get ahold of dad and I don't wanna come home.”

She could only imagine what Leanne must be saying on the other end, or what she must be feeling, it must be hard to watch your child pick one parent over the other, regardless of the dynamic.

“Okay.” And then the teen was handing her the phone with a sigh. “She wants to talk to you.”

Rox simply nodded her head before taking the phone and pressing it to her ear.

“Hey Leanne.” She waited for the woman to yell at her, to go off on her, something, anything, but she didn't.

“Is it okay that she stays there?” The question shocked her, but then again, they weren't exactly close. “I know it's not exactly ideal…”

“She can stay.” She didn't want to get into politics right now, Leanne didn't need to know details of her relationship with Ethan, all she needed to know was that her daughter was safe in her presence. “I can bring her to Angels tomorrow sometime.”

“Thank you.” And then the line went dead and Rox imagined that she was probably having a hard time with everything just like the teen was.

“You can stay.” Rox said softly, watching as the teen nodded her head softly. “I'll get you something to change into, you can shower if you want.”

“Thank you Rox.” Ariel's whisper was barely audible and Rox had to bite back tears. “I know you and dad are… well… I get it. I know it must be hard being around my mom sometimes.”

“We make it work.” In realty it hadn't been that difficult to deal with Leanne, up until she found out about their relationship two weeks ago.

Now she always felt like she was walking on eggshells around the older woman.

“Good.” She nodded her head as she spoke, a small smile on her face at the words. “Dad needs you both, whether he wants to admit it or not.”

Rox highly doubted that Ethan needed her, especially at this point, but she was glad that the girl was accepting of their relationship either way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I don’t know if anyone’s still reading this but I hope whoever is likes this addition. Y’all should know I’m a sucker for Ariel.


	6. Chapter 6

After Ariel had showered and gotten dressed she had fallen into Rox’s bed with a soft sigh, her body curling up instantly, her eyes heavy and lidded as Rox pulled the covers over her and told her to sleep tight.

She had made her way to the couch and settled down, her eyes staring up at the ceiling as she tried her hardest to fall asleep but she was failing.

All she could think about was how devastated Ariel had looked when she showed up at her door earlier.

It was the same look of fear and anguish that she had seen on Ethan’s face that morning.

And while the two were most certainly not biologically related, that face could’ve fooled anyone.

She had finally started to drift off around two in the morning, only to be woken up to the sound of her phone ringing.

She grabbed it and answered it quickly, not wanting the sound to wake the sleeping girl down the hall.

“Hello?” She didn’t even bother to look and see who was calling so she was shocked when she heard Ethan’s voice on the other end.

“Hey, you called.” She swallowed as she tried to control her racing heart. “Is everything okay?”

“It’s Ariel, Ethan.” He let out a sigh on the other end and she wondered if he knew what was coming.

“Do you know where she is? Is she okay?” He sounded scared and hopeless and she hated that he was going through all of this at once.

“She’s with me.” She rose from the couch and made her way toward her room slowly, poking her head in to check on the teen as she heard a car start on the other end.

“I’m coming over.” He said softly.

“Okay.” She didn’t know what else to say so she just nodded her head, despite him not being able to see her. “We’ll be here.”

He hung up then and she moved back to her spot on the couch, her phone falling to the table as she leaned forward and took a deep breath.

She didn’t know if she was ready to face Ethan, but she knew that for Ariel’s sake she needed to let him come over.

—

No more than twenty minutes later there was a soft knock on the front door and she made her way toward it quickly.

When she opened it a disheveled looking Ethan greeted her on the other side.

“Hey.” His voice was barely whisper and she took note of his blood shot eyes and tear stained cheeks.

“Hey.” She stepped back and allowed him to enter, shutting the door behind him softly. “She’s in my room, asleep.”

“What happened?” He turned to face her then, his hands going into the pockets of his jogging pants as he eyed her softly.

“Max is dead.” Saying those words out loud to him hurt and she didn’t even know the boy.

No one deserved to die that young, especially not someone as special as Max.

“Jesus.” She heard him let out a shaky breath before walking toward the bedroom.

He pushed the door open slowly and stepped inside, making his way toward the bed where he sat on the edge, his hand going out to push Ariel’s hair away from her face.

“Angel…” Rox watched as Ethan waited a second before rubbing her arm softly. “Babe, it’s dad, I’m here.”

“Dad?” The girl’s voice was raspy and sleep filled and Rox leaned against the door frame as she watched her sit up quickly, her arms going around the man’s neck instantly.

“Hey kiddo.” Ethan hugged her back, his right hand rubbing circles on her t-shirt as he offered her soft hushes. “It’s gonna be okay.”

Ariel shook her head back and forth before letting out a sob and Rox figured now was an appropriate time to back out of the room and let the two of them be.

She settled herself back on the couch, fooling around on her phone for a few minutes before laying back down and closing her eyes.

When she heard the bedroom door shut a few minutes later she waited to hear what Ethan had to say.

But no words left his mouth, instead she watched as he knelt down in front of the couch, his hand going out to brush her hair back much like he had just done to the teen.

“Thank you for taking care of her.” He whispered, his eyes shimmering in the dim light of the living room.

“Anytime.” She knew what it was like to be a teenager and feel like you didn’t belong anywhere or that you had no one to trust.

“I’m sorry I didn’t answer.” She simply nodded her head at his apology because she didn’t really want excuses right now. “Dad and I got into a fight. I just had to get out.”

“Where’d you go?” She got ready to push herself up from her spot on the couch but he gently held her in place.

“For a drive.” She nodded her head again because she really didn’t know what to say. “You try and sleep okay? I’m gonna stay up in case she needs me.”

“I think she’s gonna be out for a while.” She couldn’t help herself from reaching out and cupping his cheek with her hand. “You need to sleep Ethan.”

He looked ragged and worn out and she had never seen him look so down and depressed.

She knew he was struggling but he needed to start taking care of himself, and letting other people take care of him.

“It’s okay.” He whispered, his head tilting slightly into her palm.

“Please.” She whispered back. “Lay with me.”

She didn’t know why she all of a sudden wanted him close, but she needed to know that he was okay and breathing and that he wasn’t leaving her just yet.

“Give me a minute?” His question was soft and she nodded her head with a smile before pressing her back against the couch cushions as much as possible.

He returned a few minutes later and he joined her on the couch, his arm wrapping around her waist as he pulled her close.

“Sleep love.” She whispered the words as she let her right hand go to his head, stroking his hair softly as she willed him to relax.

He offered her a soft smile as he sank down against the pillow, his lips pressing the softest of kisses to her nose.

And the next thing she knew he was snoring softly, his arm having relaxed overtop of her, his legs tangled with hers beneath the covers.

She pressed a soft kiss to his forehead before closing her eyes, willing herself to go back to sleep despite the two other people in the apartment being very much in need of her.

——

When Rox awoke the next morning she could smell the coffee brewing and the bacon sizzling and she took a moment to relish in the normalcy of it all.

Especially given that the circumstances of the last twenty four hours had been anything but normal.

She waited to hear any signs of movement but she couldn’t make out anything save for the sound of breakfast cooking.

But just as she pushed herself into a sitting position Ethan poked his head into the living room and offered her a big smile.

“Morning.” He had a cup of coffee in his hands and his hair was astray and she thought he must have been the most perfect thing she’d ever seen.

“Morning.” She choked out, her body working hard to control itself in his presence.

“Breakfast is almost done.” He moved toward her and extended the mug in her direction. “I’m gonna go wake Ariel.”

She simply nodded her head as she took the steaming cup from him, her eyes closing as she let the scent of the much needed caffeinated beverage take over.

She heard Ethan moving around in the other room, his footsteps light as he went about waking the girl, probably in the same way he normally had to wake her, by yanking the curtains open and blinding her.

Ariel let out a huff and then she heard her feet on the floor just as Ethan came out of the room with a smile.

“You hungry?” He grabbed a plate and plopped whatever it was he was cooking onto it before turning back to face her. “I made pancakes.”

“Pancakes?” She wasn’t even aware that she had the stuff for pancakes in her kitchen, let alone bacon, or hell, coffee.

“I went to the store.” She pushed herself up off the couch and started heading toward the kitchen just as the girl appeared beside her.

“The store?” Ariel’s voice was raspy and her eyes were still red and puffy and it broke Rox’s heart. “It’s 8:30am. What time did you get up?”

“Five.” He set the two plates down on the table before moving to grab a glass of orange juice off the counter, placing it in front of the girl before pressing a kiss to her head. “Eat.”

“Ethan…” Rox knew he was trying to hide something, what that something was she wasn’t sure, but she knew him well enough to know that this wasn’t normal.

“Eat Rox.” But he gave her a look that told her ‘not now’ so she sighed before sitting down.

They ate their breakfast in silence before Ariel excused herself and trudged down the hallway toward the bathroom.

The shower cut on not long after and Rox turned to Ethan and raised an eyebrow as he shoved the last of his bacon in his mouth.

“What’s going on with you?” She wanted to make sure that he was okay.

Yesterday had been hard on him, she wasn’t stupid, she knew he was hurting.

But this, this hiding behind a mask, it wasn’t going to work for her right now.

“Nothing.” He took a sip of his coffee before letting out a sigh. “I’m fine Rox.”

“Fine my ass.” She rose from her spot and dropped her dirty dishes in the sink before turning toward him with a huff. “Yesterday…”

“I’ve moved on.” Just like that, no reason why, no explanation, he had just apparently ‘moved on’.

“And your dad?” She knew they had had a fight and she wanted to make sure that it was okay.

Even if they weren’t close, she couldn’t imagine that it would be easy for him to lose his father like that, again.

“He’s gone.” Ethan rose from his seat as well, making his way toward her where he dumped his dishes beside hers with a sigh. “I got a text this morning. He went back to Raleigh. Said he didn’t have any business being here anymore.”

She could tell that it was hurting him, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

“Just like that?” She had a hard time believing that his dad would give up without a fight.

He and Ethan might not have gotten along but it was hard for her accept that Martin would leave without a proper goodbye.

“Said he was done.” He shrugged his shoulders as he turned to face her, his eyes soft and almost misty as he spoke. “His lady friend needed him.”

She rolled her eyes at his words but judging by the look on Ethan’s face he was telling the truth.

“His lady friend?” She wasn’t sure if she wanted details on Martin’s friend or not.

“Her name’s Linda, or Luna or Lucy, something that starts with an ‘L’.” The tone of Ethan’s voice told her that he also did not want details about his father’s friend. “She’s a Pilates instructor.”

“And how old is this Linda or Luna or Lucy?” She could see the humor in his eyes though so she dared to reach out and place her hands on his chest softly.

“I’m pretty sure she’s young enough to be my sister.” He chuckled as his hands settled on her waist. “Hell, she’s probably young enough to be my fucking daughter.”

“You’re kidding?” She absolutely could not see Martin with a woman so much younger than him.

“My step-mom was only 10 years older than me.” She shook her head as she let out a laugh, imaging Martin with a woman so young was killing her.

“I can’t…” She laughed even harder at the thought of Ethan with a hot young step-mom and when he tickled her sides softly she howled as she fell against his chest.

He pressed a kiss to her cheek then, and then her chin, and then her neck, and his fingers wandered under the material of her sleep shirt as he found the sweet spot on her shoulder.

“Ethan…” She hissed his name out as his hand moved upward, cupping her breast softly as he tried to tug her closer. “We can’t.”

“Why not?” He nipped at the skin of her neck before letting his hand move downward, pushing under her pajama bottoms as she gripped at his shirt tightly.

“Ariel…” She wondered if he had forgotten that his heart broken fourteen year old was just down the hall and could easily exit the bathroom at any given moment.

“I’ll be quick.” He pushed his hand inside her underwear and she let out a moan as she buried her head against his neck. “Need you.”

She pulled back then, her hands reaching out to cup his face as she dragged his head up so that they were eye-to-eye.

“You can have as much of me as you want…” His eyes twinkled at her words and she offered him a small smile. “Tonight. After she’s back with Leanne.”

He let out a huff but she felt his hand move back to her hip while the other one moved to cup her chin.

“Promise?” She knew that she should probably make him apologize for his behavior.

She should probably tell him that he couldn’t keep using her like this.

But he was so soft and yet so sexy and it was killing her not having had his hands on her body in so long.

“Promise.” He leaned in and kissed her then, just as the bathroom door opened and the girl emerged.

She had never been so thankful for perfect timing in her life.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I don’t really like this chapter. It feels kinda forced and I’m not sure that it fits. I’m posting it because I need to bridge the gap between chapters but I’m not that satisfied with it :-/

Two days later Rox was involved in a fight between Ethan and Leanne that she would rather have not have witnessed.

In fact, she would've much rather not been involved at all.

But Leanne had made a good point and she was just trying to help and it lead to that fight between them causing a fight between her and Ethan and then everything just went downhill from there.

She had tagged along with Ethan when he went to drop Ariel off, the teen reluctant to return home to her mother after the events of the pst few weeks.

Leanne had insisted though, so against his better judgment Ethan had driven the girl ‘home’.

And his use of the word ‘home’ had been the straw that broke the camel’s back.

She had always viewed Leanne's as Ariel's ‘home’.

It's where she lived the majority of the time.

It's where her mail went, where all her court documents said she lived, where the bus picked her up for school.

But apparently the issue of ‘home’ had been coming up a lot lately and it was something that Ariel was tired of trying to explain.

“But why does this have to be home?!” She had yelled at them, all three of them actually, how she had gotten involved she didn't know. “Why can't I live with dad for a little while?”

Rox thought it was an excellent question, but it wasn't her business to get involved and she certainly didn't want to upset anyone more than they already were.

“Because your father didn't adopt you Ariel!” She had seen Leanne mad over the years, but never like this. “I did!”

“It's not like I had choice!” And then Ethan had jumped in and Rox felt like she was watching a ping pong match. 

“Shut up Ethan!” Leanne was fuming and Rox half expected her to slap him. “Just, just leave. Both of you.”

She didn’t know what she had done to deserve to be yelled at, she hadn’t even spoken a word the entire morning.

“If you wanna stay with me Ariel you can.” She watched as all the color drained from Leanne’s face and she suddenly realized what was going on.

“I don’t wanna stay here.” The teen shot Leanne an angry look and Rox felt her heart stop in her chest at the way the teen was speaking. “I wanna stay with dad.”

It was probably the first time that Rox had heard Ariel refer to the man as her ‘dad’ and she could feel the air thicken instantly.

She guessed that Ariel had never referred to Leanne as ‘mom’ before.

“Fine.” Leanne threw her hands up in frustration as she let out a sigh. “Do whatever you two want.”

And then she was disappearing down the hallway, leaving the three of them standing in the front room.

“Can we go?” Ariel turned to face them as she wrapped her arms around herself tightly. “Please.”

“Yeah baby.” Ethan reached out for her and she stepped into his arms without any hesitation.

Rox felt herself being unable to move though.

She knew what they were doing was wrong and she knew that Leanne was hurting and suddenly she was really bothered by the fact that they had ganged up on her like that.

“Ariel, you really upset Leanne.” She didn’t know when she had found her voice but she instantly regretted it when Ethan and the teen snapped their heads toward her. “Don’t you think you should apologize?”

“I think she’s done enough apologizing lately.” Ethan snapped.

She wasn’t sure what he meant by that but she still didn’t buy it.

“Ethan…” She watched as he shook his head furiously at her, his arm tightening around Ariel’s shoulders.

“No! She doesn’t wanna be here!” She wasn’t sure that she deserved to be yelled at but she guessed that in his mind she had done something wrong by standing up for her friend. “She’s been through enough, she deserves to be where she’s comfortable.”

And with that he turned them both toward the door and they made their way outside silently.

Letting out a sigh she turned to see if she could spot the other woman anywhere but she was long gone.

She guessed that she had gone somewhere to cry, which she totally deserved, and she knew that it wasn’t her place to go after her.

Instead she hung her head as she left the house, locking the bottom lock as she shut the door behind her, and then made her way toward the Jeep.

She climbed inside the passenger seat without another word to her companions and they made the drive to Ethan’s in silence.

—

They had gotten to the house a few minutes after leaving Leanne's and both Ethan and Ariel had vanished in separate directions.

They had both then promptly ignored her the rest of the day.

She had contemplated leaving but she had nowhere else to go so she stayed, praying that something would give and the awkwardness would be broken.

After dinner she had given up and she had grabbed her things and made her way downstairs, hell bent and determined to make a scene as she left.

But Ariel was nowhere to be found and Ethan was lounged on the couch, his legs stretched across the cushions, his right arm bent and resting under his head.

There was a Dodgers game on TV but she could tell that he wasn't really focused on it.

“Don't leave.” He whispered, his gaze moving toward her as he spoke.

She stopped in her tracks and let out a sigh.

It was the first time he'd spoken to her since this morning and she felt very betrayed by how her heart started racing in her chest.

“Figured you didn't want me here.” She let her shoulders slump forward as she took a deep breath, turning to face him slowly. “You haven't exactly made me feel very welcome.”

“I know.” His voice was soft and his eyes were gentle and all she wanted to do was melt into him. “I'm sorry for that.”

She didn't know what to say so she just stood there.

She wasn't used to apologies, especially not from men, and even though this was Ethan they were talking about, she was still not used to hearing those words.

“I know that you had a point.” He gave her a soft look as he spoke. “But right now, my priority is her.”

He gestured down the hall with a soft sigh and she simply nodded her head.

“If she wants to be here, I need her here.” The way he talked so softly about the teen melted her heart. “And I need your support on this.”

She nodded her head again as she wrung her hands together.

“I know you don't want Leanne to get hurt and neither do I.” She knew that even after everything they had been through he still loved her to a degree and she had to learn to be okay with that.

They stayed that way for a few minutes in silence before Ethan let out a sigh.

“Will you please come here?” He whispered his question softly as he stretched his arms out toward her.

She made her way to him slowly and let out a huff when he pulled her down toward him.

“Stay.” He pressed a kiss to her head as he held her against his chest tightly, one hand settling in her hair as the other ran down her back slowly. “I don't wanna lose you over this.”

She let out a sniffle and that's when she realized she was crying.

“I don't know what we are,” He stroked her hair softly as he whispered his words, “but whatever it is, I don't wanna lose it.”

“It's just sex.” She didn't know where those words came from because it was clearly more than just sex.

But she had never been in a real relationship before and the thought was terrifying.

“Not for me it ain't.” He pressed another kiss to her head as he spoke and she felt a piece of her heart melt.

“Good to know.” She whispered her reply as she let her left arm settle against his chest, her right arm wrapping around his side as she let out a soft sigh.

“Try and sleep.” He grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over them before letting his arm settle back around her. 

She didn't reply, instead she simply nodded her head and closed her eyes, the sound of his heart beating under her ear lulling her to sleep.


End file.
